The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-03-12

both resting on his arm, while he busted
himself in keeping peace between the
animals, question having arisen as to
the right of property in the nutritious
succedaueum which encircled the head
of Nun Makers charger, and which, in
the opinion of the better-appointed
steed, was capable of being appropriated
to more gratifying purpose than that
of mere symbol of subserviency.
Nun Maher would have been much
the filter person (for the purpose of the
gang) to have sent on the enterprise
which the Suil Dhuv had undertaken.
He was one of those happy characters
who are relieved by Nature from the evil
of either thinking or feeling deeply ON
any subject, and whose vice or virtue is
the result altogether of accident and
habit; who take whatever little ideas
they may possess altogether upon trust,
and live, as one of the most independent
of the tribe of independent thinkers bit
terly expresses it-''upon the aims
basket-on scraps of begged opinions. I"
Maher's tone of mind or feeling, Ill
consequence, was always formed by the
company into which circumstances had
thrown HIM last. He was feroclous after
he had conversed for an hour with Red
Rody-spirited, fiery, and ambitious
while in the presence of Suil Dhuv-
given to crusheening when he and Jerry
got into corner together-and he never
lett the room where Nancy O'Neil sat,
without passion for roguery and low
cheating.
Neither was this cameleon-like quality
of imitation confined to the moral COM
position of the man. He generally as
sumed, with the tone of mind impaired
by those into whose society he was
thrown, the gesture. the voice, and even
the very air of the features. By
singular Aexibility of countenance, sim
liar to that which. even in these days of
the Dramas disgrace, enables Math-
ews to collect around his green cloth and
lamps, a laughing circle of her once
generous patrons from the world of the
Exclusive themselves-by such capa-
bility was Nun Maher enabled, even
without the intention or consciousness
of it, to adapt his face and manner en-
tirely to those of mis- companions
changing occasionally from Jerry's soft,
open gaze, to the hard-knit brow and
fixed stare of Suil Dhuv-the stupid,
foolish eye of Maher, and even, occa-
sionally, to adopt the palsied agitation
of Rody himself. He wascertain. more
over, to remain in the condition of mind
in which he had been last placed, until
some new arch@type was presented to
him, for Qike the bird Of the American
forests, that is songless in itself, yet can
become the pupil or even the rival of
the NIGHTINGALE. he might be said to
have no positive or original existence of
his own, but to present at ali times the
double of some neighbor or acquaint-
ance. playing the same part in the world
which loser plays at game of forfelts,
who is condemned to receive and retain
an attitude from each of the company in
turn.
The same feeling, moreover, which
would render such one impatient at
being left for any considerable time in
the same position, made Nun fret and
chafe at a great rate whenever he was
left long alone. He remained for some
time after Suil Dhuv left him, with his
arms folded and his eyes fixed musingly
through his gathered brows upon the
ground, then led his horses slowly up
and down, wondered at the long delay
made by his companion "a considerable
time before the latter had reached his
destination, and at last, taking from his
coat pocket bundle of smokes stained.
whited-browr papers stitched together
in the form of book, in which the
print, composed of strange tumble of
types, of all shapes and sizes, was
scarcely discernable in the gloom "a spe-
cies of confusion of which our London
readers may be enabled to form some
idea by walking as far as the dead-wall
in Oxford street. or any other dead-wall
where those elegant specimens of typo
graphy from '.Pitt's and Son, at the
Seven Dials," Autter on their pack
thread in the dusty street gale, and
where, with reverence be it spoken, in
the friendless hours of our literary no
violate in the great babel, we were wont
to charm away the remembrance of
many cold repulse and many a sting
ing disappointment, taking we repeat
(craving the readers indulgence for our
long parenthesis) taking such book
from his coat pocket, and turning over